The Rise of the Chief Design Officer
Why top companies and other big innovators invest in design leadership.
The Designer’s Nostalgia: Romanticizing the Beauty of the Past
Oftentimes, designers are characterized by a deep, sometimes inexplicable nostalgia for the past. They tend to look back, romanticize what once was, and idealize a sweeter past era; many never actually experienced. A time when design was revolutionary, marking cultural turning points.
From Milton Glaser’s I <3 NY poster, to Wes Wilson’s psychedelic concert art, and then the iconic vinyl covers like Sgt. Pepper and The Dark Side of the Moon design once felt deeply cultural and tactile. Print magazines such as The New Yorker, Playboy, and Harper’s Bazaar set new standards in editorial design, while bold advertising: think Coca-Cola billboards and Saul Bass film posters, turned the mundane visuals into art.
These times that witnessed the vibrant poster movement of the 1960s, the rise of iconic vinyl album art in the 1970s, and the heyday of carefully crafted print magazines feel iconic, almost like the glamorized, mythic and golden age of the Hollywood star system. A time when design felt original and tangible, with room to reinvent the wheel, and driving major cultural revolutions.
The Rise of Design Leadership as a Response to Industry Disruption
Digitization, rapid globalization, and shifting consumer expectations have transformed the business landscape, making the role of designers more catalytic and indispensable than ever before. Design is no longer just about visuals; it has become a strategic force, embedded deep within organizations. At the forefront of this evolution stands the Chief Design Officer (CDO), a leader who ensures design drives business growth, innovation, and cultural relevance.
A recent report (Chief Design Officer Role Report, 2024) by Future London Academy, highlights the increasing importance of design leadership in today´s turbulent business landscape, characterised by the disruption from AI, unstable economies, and uncertainty. It argues that a Chief Design Officer (CDO) provides imagination, creativity, and new problem-solving approaches that are crucial for success in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, marked by complexity and uncertainty.
The report further highlights the growing presence of CDOs in corporate leadership, noting that approximately 548 companies worldwide now have incorporated a CDO, with tech firms being at the forefront of this trend. This data, sourced from LinkedIn, shows that CDOs are not limited to one type of organization, they are increasingly found in both mid-sized, established companies (200–500 employees) and large enterprises with over 10,000 employees. This underscores the widespread recognition of the strategic value of data leadership across the industry.
Now it is becoming increasingly clear that embracing design leadership is not optional but essential. The why is also clear: organizations that resist this shift risk falling behind in a world that moves faster and demands more. It is time for change, and the moment to embrace it is now.
What a Chief Design Officer brings to the business table
The importance of design in the boardroom is becoming impossible to ignore. Companies like Duolingo, Cisco, Google, and JPMorgan Chase are creating Chief Design Officer roles, as they recognize that design drives more than just looks — it powers growth, slashes costs, and fosters collaboration across departments (The Future London Academy Report, 2024). With design leadership embedded at the highest levels, businesses are putting users first, nurturing cultures of curiosity and creativity, and taking responsibility for ethics, sustainability, and planet-centric innovation. In today’s world, a Chief Design Officer doesn’t just influence product or branding — they help shape the company’s future.
The Chief Design Officer’s role goes well beyond visuals. They turn complexity into clarity and make sure the user’s voice shapes key decisions. More than that, they influence company culture and connect design to bigger issues like sustainability and social impact. Today’s CDOs aren’t just designers; they’re visionaries who embed design at the heart of real change.
Design isn’t just what a company does — it’s a reflection of their culture. Ultimately, having a Chief Design Officer shows a true commitment to building a strong design culture.
Winning the Seat at the Table: The Path of Becoming a CDO
Winning a seat at the executive table means embracing change — and advocating for it. Chief Design Officers wear multiple hats: they simplify complexity, embed sustainability, and bring social and political agendas into business strategy. According to the Future London Academy Report (2024), a CDO’s impact spans five key layers:
(1) leading with purpose (human)
(2) driving user innovation (product)
(3) fostering collaboration and creativity (team)
(4) steering revenue growth and cost optimization (company)
(5) championing ethics and planet-centricity (world).
The report shows that most CDOs have extensive design leadership experience. About 39% are promoted from within their own company, 45% are hired from design leadership roles at other companies, and 17% come in with previous experience as CDOs. This mix highlights that whether growing internally, joining from outside, or bringing prior CDO experience, successful CDOs know how to deliver measurable business results by communicating clearly with executives using data and a focus on growth.
The path to becoming a Chief Design Officer can be a long journey for any designer. It requires deep knowledge, active participation in company culture, and consistently driving for better, innovative results. While today’s path is faster than ever, it’s important for new designers to recognize that this role didn’t exist until recently — someone had to pave the way. Respecting that history and appreciating the effort it took is crucial. Climbing to this level takes time, and patience is key. The design community must also make sure companies understand why they need CDOs. Ultimately, patience remains the most important virtue on this journey.
More than Designers: Architects of Culture
The companies that truly thrive don’t just have design teams—they treat design as a cultural force. Look no further than the recent collaboration between OpenAI and Apple’s Jony Ive, a clear sign that design drives innovation, not just decorates it. When a business brings a Chief Design Officer into the mix, they’re sending a message: design isn’t a service or a department — it’s a way of thinking, leading, and doing.
Traditional brand systems are stuck in the past, made for slow-moving campaigns, while culture today demands speed, clarity, and authenticity across every platform. Customers expect to connect instantly, everywhere. Design is what allows companies move fast and remain authentic. And in the AI era, designers´s role is more crucial than ever: ultimately, good design can translate the complex, into experiences that feel ethical, clear, and human.
Burning question
Ultimately, companies must ask themselves: In an AI-driven world where execution becomes seamless, how can companies strategically safeguard and preserve the uniquely human creativity that remains indispensable for true innovation and lasting impact?
Illustrations: @Lenka.re
